Method of treating gases.



A. C. MORRlSON.

METHOD 0F TREATING GASES. APPLxcAnoN man APR. 4. |914.

Patented July 30, 1918.

l m l I yio UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.-

cnEssY MORRISON, or EssEx rELLs, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF TREATING- GASES.

To all whom z't may concer/n.'

Be it -known thatl I, ABRAHAM CREssY MORRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at' Essex Fells, in the county of Essex and State of New J ersey., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Gases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to so treat a gaseous mixture, such as air, composed-of two or more gases of different specific gravities, as to obtain therefrom a gaseous mixture containing relatively greater proportions of one or more of the ingredients than are found in the original mixture.

More specifically, my invention relates to the treatment of atmospheric air for the purpose of producingtherefrom a product containing more oxygen than is present in air; and relates further to the use of such oxygenated air in the liquefaction of air, and for other purposes.

Air contains about 2l per cent. by volume,-

and about 23 per cent. by weight of oxygen, in mechanical mixture with nitrogen, the atomic weight of oxygen being 16 and that of nitrogen 14. It is also known that gaseous oxygen is magnetic and that liquid oxygen is more strongly magnetic; and my invention further relates to a -means for concentrating or oxygenating air bythe combined effects of magnetic and physically produced forces, y.

My invention may be carried out in apparatus such as is shown in the accompany/ing drawings, in `which-- Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the'apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation of the cen- I trifugal coil, on a larger scale than in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section through the end portion of the coil. Referring. to Fig. v 1, A is an air-compresser in which the air may be compressed to any desired degree. 'B is a cooler for ex tracting" the heat of compression from the compressed air, from which the air is delivered intoa receiving-tank C. From the rece'iving-tank, the compressed air may either through pipe 1 to the engine D, W ere it -is expanded while doing work; or it may I .pass directly. from the tank C through the pipe 2 fto thel centrifugal -coil E. The intensely cold exhaust from the engine D may also be delivered through the pipe 3 to the asscoil E. Both pipes 2 and 3 are provided` with suitable valves and deliver compressed alr to the coil E through a suitably shaped parted to the current of air. The coil .f-E consists of a tube preferably oval' or elliptical in cross-section, the coils of the spiral being of gradually decreasing diameter. I At or near the end of the coil, there is inserted a partition or partitions 5 and 6, thus divid-l pole-pieces F', Gr of a second electro'magnety also energized by the dynamo H. "The pipe 7 is connected to the inner coil of a countercurrent refrigerating-apparatus of the wellknown Linde type, the inner pipe 9 offwhich is surrounded by an outer pipe 10. F rom Specication of Letters Patent. Patented July 30,1918. I Application mea April 4, 191.4. serial Nq. 829,630.

lnozzle 4 by which additional velocity is imthe lower end of this coil, pipe 9 passes j through the coil 11 immersed in the liquid oxygen receptacle l2 and thence to the ex# pansion nozzle 13 from which the now liquefied gas passes through pipe 14 tothe top of a rectifying-column 15, the liquefied oxygen passing downward over the shelves of the rectier and vcollecting inthe receptacle 12. The nitrogen vapor passes out of thepipe 16 into the tube 10 and absorbs heat from the gas passing through the inner pipe 9.

The receptacle l2 is surrounded by the pole-pieces 17, 1.8 of a powerful electromagnet, in order that there may be produced' `within the receptacle a powerful magnetic field. The expansion nozzlev13 is similarly surrounded by pole-pieces 19 and 20 of an electromagnet,` these two last-,mentioned electromagnets being furnished withcurrentl from any suitable source of electric ener y, such as the dynamo H. 5.0, 51 are the po epiecesof still another electromagnet, and it will be advantageous to use such magnets at other points in the apparatus wherever air is beingfseparated from nitrogen or `other non-magnetic gases, and particularlywhere the air is at, near, or below its liquefying point. f .l

65 ing the end portion of the pipe 1nto two or v be compressedl to a high degree, as for ex.-

ample 200 atmospheres. If the air is not to be preliminarily cooled by expansion,`the compression need not be carried to so high a degree, 'from 50 to 100 pounds being Sullicient. In either event, the compressed air is preferably taken through the cooler B to remove the heat of compression, The compressed air either directly from the tank, or

'exhausted from the engine cylinder, is then delivered into the coil E through a'nozzle 4, by which it is given a high velocity. This velocityfmay be, by the use of a nozzle vof the proper shape and with air at suitable temperature and .under suitable pressure, as high as 3,000 or 4,000, feet per second, but should not be less than the molecular speed of movement. The centrifugal forces acting upon the air as it passes through the spiral Coil at this high velocity will tend to throw the heavier oxygen to the outer portion of the oval tube with the result that there will be produced near the outer periphery a layer or zone containing more oxygen than that contained in the inner portion of the tube, which part of the tube will' contain a mixture correspondingly richer in nitrogen. This centrifugal separation is accentuated by the location about the coils of the polepieces of a powerful electromagnet. The strong magnetic field thus produced will still further tend to cause the magnetic oxygen to move in the same direction as that -in which it is moved by the centrifugal force.

The result of these combined forces acting on the oxygen will be to cause a concentration of the oxygen in the outer zone of the coil from which itl can be removed ffor Auser' in any desired manner.

',llle use of such a gaseous mixture containing. a larger percentage of oxygen than is normally present in air is of great advan' tage in processes of manufacturing oxygen by the .liquefaction or mixed oxygen and nitrogen. I have illustrated such a use. When so used, the magnetic properties of liquid oxygen may be still further utilized, both before and after the liquefaction,l in order to facilitate the liquefaction itself and as a means .for improving the Erectification of the liquefied gases to obtain theremercially pure state.

from the oxygen and nitrogen in a com- This feature of my invention ,is carried into effect by locating in proximity to the liquef'action nozzle 13, electromagnets by whichlthere will be produced a powerful field o foro(VA through which the air to be liquefied will pass. As the air apprqaches thedew-point, i. e. that degree of temperature at which globules of cules will cause a mutual attraction which will increase their tendency to aggregate into drops and tend to augment the size of the drops when formed.

The strong magnetic eld produced in the receptacle `12 will serve to there assist in retaining the liquid oxygen, so that the nitroy gen will be more completely separated, in accordance with the principle of operation of-my"prior Patent No'. 1,056,043, granted -March 18, 1913. u

When a gas, such as a1r, at very high pressures, is allowed to expand while doing work, the temperature of the air is reduced. Thus, if air at a pressure of 4,000 pounds to the square inch, be allowed to expand to a pressure of 60 pounds to the square inch, the

drop in temperature will be about`1850, so that the exhaust air will be at a very low temperature, while still under sulicient pres-v sure to impart the requisite velocity for centrifugal separation. If, when the air at this low temperature is subjected to the combined centrifugal and magnetic forces, as in the process and apparatus above described,`

poses than the liquefaction of au', since oxy-v genated air will beof great value in all locations where combustion is effected, as in blast furnaces, gas-producers, and furnaces of other kinds; and it will be further evident --10 that the centrifugal action alone, and without the use of the magnetic features above apparatus in which refrigerated gases are other purdescribed, willproduce air richer in oxygen 'i available for the purposes mentioned.

As a matter of'theory, it would seem to be clear that the action of a magnetic-j field of force upon the molecules of oxygen or other paramagnetic gas-is the same as lts action upon 'any other magnetic substance, that is, that each molecule when in lsuch a magnetic field of force becomes an individual magnet. It would seem further that the only difference between the apparent paramagnetic characteristics of oxygen 1n a liquid form and as a gas is the difference due to the different density. Thus, if. a paramagnetic gas like oxygen be assumed to be at a temperature so low that condensation is about to take place because of the diminution of molecular movement resulting from abstraction of heat-energy, the natgas can be in effect raised, willbe of great practical advantage, not only in the liquefaction of the particular gas, but in the rectification of liquefied mixed gases.

Referring to Figs. 2 andl 3, it will be noted that two partitions 5, 6 are shown, A

although only one may be used in case the gas is to be separated` into only two portions.

What I claim is 1. The method of treating mixtures of oxygen and other gaseswh1'ch consists in subjecting the mixture simultaneously to centrifugal and magnetic forces.

2. The method of treating mixtures of oxygen and other gases, which consists in subjecting the mixture to centrifugal action tending to separate the heavier from the lighter gases while the mixture is in a strong magnetic field.

3. The methodof treating mixtures of paramagnetic and non-magnetic gases, which iconsists in simultaneously subject-ing the mixture to centrifugal and magnetic forces.

4. The method of treating mixtures of oxygen and other gases, which consists in cooling the mixture and then simultaneously subjecting the mixture to centrifugal and magnetic forces.

5. The method of treating mixtures of oxygen and other gases, which consists in cooling the mixture to approximately the liquefyingpoint while in a powerful magnetic field.

6. The method of separating the apparent boiling-'points of mixed parama'gnetic and diamagnetic liquids, which consists in sub-# jecting them to the action of a magnetic 7. The method of treating air, which -consists in causing the air to fiow at high velocity through a spiral tube located in a strong magnetic field, and separately removing means gases from the outer .and inner 8. The method of treating air, which con-' i sists in compressing the air, cooling it and causing it to flow at high velocity through piral tube located in a strong magnetic e d. A v

9. An apparatus for centrifugal treatment of gases, comprising a spirally-arranged tube, and means for producing a magnetic field about said tube. f 10.l An apparatus for. centrifugal treat'- ment of gases, comprising a spirally-arrangedy tube having a longitudinally-arranged artition at the end of such tube, or removing the gasesfronf the chambers formed by said partition, and' means for producing a magnetic field about said tube.

11. An apparatus, comprising means for liquefying gases, comprising an expansion nozzle, and means for producing a magnetic field about said nozzle.

12. An apparatus for treating air, comprising a compressor, means for cooling the an' includmg an expansion engine, a splral tube connected to the engine exhaust, and

means for producing a powerful magnetic field about said tube.

13. An apparatus for treating air, comprising a compressor, means for cooling thea1r including an expansion engine, a spiral tube connected to the engine exhaust, and

means for producing a' powerful magnetic field about "said tube, said tube provided with means for removing gases from the outer and inner portions.

14. The method of liquefying a paramagnetic gas at a temperature slightly above the. normal boilingpoint,pwhich consists in subjecting the gas to the action of a powerful magnetic field, thereby causing liquefaction to occur above the normal boiling point.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAMGRESSY MORRISON.

I -Witnesses: i'

JAS'. H. BLAcKwoon, J. H. BRicKENsTEIN, 

